Product keys

[Panama Red]

I've had several customers trade in or just give me their old pc's lately so I can scavenge parts off them. Some have also included the Windows 95, 98, and 98se CD's. However, nobody seems to keep track of the manuals that contain the product keys for these OS's. Is the product key contained anywhere on the disk and can it be retrieved? Or are these just shiny coasters and mini-frisbees?

[bailey]

thats about it, use them eather way you want.
if the system is still working it can be retrived.

[Panama Red]

Na, there not workin' anymore. That's why I got em'.

[GaryRouth]

If the hard drives are sound at all (slaved in another system, for example), you can still retrieve their valid license numbers by looking at the HKEY_Local_Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion. . . ProductID key.

I usually then write the product key onto the installation CD with a Sharpie pen, which seems to stick on OK.

As long as they didn't use that license on any other PC, it's yours.

. . . hmm...even if the drives are only partly working, recovery software can sometimes still retrieve a few files (in this case, the Registry)
. . . Gary

[I've got a little stack of hard drives like yours at home. The last of the Win95 ones are getting close to an extended vacation at our local hazardous waste collection site]

[HAL9000]

Without the COA, it wouldn't be considered a legal copy.